The time to prepare yourself for life’s difficulties is not when you are in the midst of them. The time to prepare yourself for negotiating the twists and turns, the ups and downs, the ins and outs of life is right now. The specifics of this preparation are as varied as we are. But there is a constant that is useful to all of us. When preparation is absent, the difficulty is multiplied…and unnecessarily so.

What I am talking about is the practice of accepting the ebb and flow of life. You see, there is an ebb and a flow. Life is not a constant moving in a single direction. Just think about your life up to now. Ebb and flow, right?

If we expect certainty and guarantees, we will always be disappointed. If we expect that we’ll always get our way, well, surely not. If we expect perfection at every turn from everybody, including our own self…not gonna happen. Our preparation is the practice of accepting and learning to live in the ebb and flow of life.

Practice in every small thing. And when the big things happen, your practice will pay off. How? You will move with the ebb and flow instead of fighting it. You will have developed a wider view and a greater sense of ease in living, even in the midst of the most difficult stuff. You’ll remember…ebb and flow.

And so it is.
Paula

Life is fragile. By that I mean we are all vulnerably delicate. A day begins and by the time it’s over it can seem very different. Well, maybe not everyday feels this way. But today I was reminded of the fragile nature of life.

I had my yearly physical today. My blood pressure was 120/64. I am amazed and elated. Soon I will celebrate the completion of sixty-four years on this planet. I take no medications. My blood work is perfect. Did I mention my blood pressure is 120/64?  Over the years, my body has healed persistent and severe headaches, cancer, Graves disease, hip replacement surgery and knee replacement surgery which included a severe case of contact dermatitis. Over and over I have walked the journey back to health. Life is fragile and I feel extreme gratitude.

Later this same day I got a call from the president of a construction company. He and his crews are building the project we are working on together. (My other job is a construction contract administrator.) He called to let me know that there was a fatality on the project…the first in his forty years. A man fell off of scaffolding onto concrete. He didn’t go home after a days work as he expected. Life is fragile and I feel extremely sad.

Life is fragile. We are, contrary to the way we feel on any given day, vulnerably fragile. We are all one step away from the unexpected. I think by acknowledging our fragility we become more compassionate, less judgmental, more kind…and grateful. That’s how I feel today. It’s a good thing.

Much love always
Paula

I mean…this-is-it! No do-overs. One life this time around. So, what are you waiting for? These are the days we have. Sunny or rainy; warm, cold or blazing hot; windy or still; jagged or smooth. This-is-it!

Stop kicking the can down the road! Someday might never come. Waiting for the perfect moment is fantasy. Are you really too busy?

Burn the beautiful candle, wear your favorite shirt even if you spend the day at home, stop to take that photo of the field of sunflowers alongside the highway, have a cup of tea, walk the dog…again, make that phone call, tell someone you love them, visit your parents. Really, the message is…don’t wait.

Just-don’t-wait.
Paula

Why are we here? Have you ever wondered? Well, this is exactly the kind of thing I think about. I don’t really expect an answer or an explanation. But by opening my mind and heart and gently easing into curiosity I do expect to receive flashes or glimpses of what-it’s-all-about, every so often. And it does happen.

Somewhere along the way I came across this quote. I don’t know who wrote it. I might have seen it on social media somewhere. To the author, I sincerely apologize for not acknowledging your wisdom. Here it is.

“We are not here to build empires we are here to take care of each other. Remember where you are in the universe. A dot on a planet in a solar system in a universe. And you think what is important? Your opinion? Your passion? Your possessions? Your rights? What about your responsibility as a soul? As God on earth? This little sliver of something that could be a big something. If you got your heart around it!”

I want to stand up and shout…Yea, what about your responsibility as a soul? What about my responsibility as a soul? As a soul! We are here to take care of each other. That, I imagine, is what souls do. We walk together. We care for each other. And we see the reflection of our own self in every other living being. That’s what-it’s-all-about.

Of course it could be all about the hokey pokey. I think it’s the same thing no matter.

Much love always
Paula

There are difficult tragedies that happen in the lives of neighbors, friends and families every single day. Tragedy, as defined at dictionary.com: a lamentable, dreadful or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster. My definition is an event or condition that brings the feelings of shock, exhaustion, hopelessness, extreme sadness and uncertainty.

Individual tragedies show up as terminal diagnosis, serious accidents, life changing health conditions, the death of a loved one, violence, abuse, addiction, poverty and loss in a myriad of ways. When tragedy knocks at the door it feels as if the heart simply breaks. It is just too much to bear. It’s hard to get up and get moving. The world seems so different.

There is no explanation that can mend a broken heart. Nothing can be said or done to fix what is happening or what has happened. So, how can we go on? How is it possible to live again?

I don’t have a magical answer. There is no prescription I can offer. This is what I know. The one who weaves through the gauntlet of  tragedy and lives, is the one who finds peace within their heart along the way. The one who releases the grip of tension around the heart and allows love to flow freely once again.

And I know this, too. It is possible for all of us, no matter the circumstance. I know because I believe that peace and love reside in us and never abandon us. We only need turn toward it to receive its great blessing and grace.

Wishing you the understanding that you are not alone…and that peace and love are your very nature.
With much love
Paula

Did you ever get caught up in trying to know your life purpose? Like…why am I here? What am I supposed to do? What’s it all about? We might see others who appear to be living their life purpose and we wonder what it might be like. It may seem like we are falling short…like we might never truly discover or uncover our purpose for being here. What we really want, is to live a meaningful life.

I have been revisiting the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh after learning of his death last week. Here is a very simple idea to guide us in living our true purpose.

“Our lives should have meaning, and that meaning is to help people suffer less, help people touch the joys of life.”
from Be Free Where You Are

If we endeavor to do this one small thing, every day, the best we can, we will experience a deep connection and a joy that fills us and sustains us. I feel quite certain that from this place we will easily live our own purpose. No need to search for it…just live it.

Grateful for the teaching and the life of Thich Nhat Hanh
Paula

Many things are more complex than they first appear. Maybe complex isn’t quite the right word. How about multi-layered? The story, the whole story, the true story is usually deeper and richer and has many details and nuances.

Then there’s this…you are either with me or against me, my way or the highway, take it or leave it. Are those really the only choices? I don’t think so. I believe there are endless shades of grey and patterns and levels of light and dark in between. We have been conditioned to believe in this ‘all or nothing’ approach to life. I’m calling it out right here.

You know what I wonder? What happened in the life of someone…

• who intentionally hurts others?
• who has developed an insatiable thirst for power and money?
• who cannot accept responsibility for their actions?
• who loves drama?
• who is incapable of loving themselves?

We all have a story…a multi-layered, multi-dimensional, unique and supremely nuanced story. There is no black and white to it. That’s true for everybody. We would be wise to put away the this-or-that approach to life and instead maintain an openness and curiosity. Maybe resist putting others in a one-size-fits-all box of sorts.

We might remember more often…there but for the grace of God go I.

Indeed.
Much love
Paula

You can’t fix history. You can become aware of it, learn about it, even understand it in context. But, you can’t fix it or change it. You can only live from this day forward. And you can only live one moment at a time.

Sometimes we fight for what we believe in. We fight for change…worthy causes…injustices…for the struggling and disadvantaged. I think we don’t understand that Love Itself would heal all of it if we gave it a chance. We’ve been fighting long enough, how about we try Love instead?

Jesus didn’t come to fight. He came to show us how Love works. Love solves and dissolves every problem and every injustice. We just need to use Love as our weapon and set anger, fear, resentment and judgment aside.

We see men and women on the world stage tipping the world toward hate, greed, self-preservation above all, individual power, everything ‘me’. Okay, so that is happening. But, you know what? We can tip the world toward Love. You and me. Just be Love…everywhere you go and in all that you do. Just be Love.

Leave the past in the past and choose to BE LOVE right in this moment now. Our children just might read history about how Love Itself came to rule the world. Wouldn’t that be something?

Much love
Paula

The spiritual path requires change. Kind of stating the obvious. Evolving spiritually is shedding the old and coming into a new way of being, a new consciousness. It happens by and through change.

In spiritual work, there is a leaving behind of less useful things…habits, people, thoughts, ideas and beliefs.  I think you have to be brave to walk this path. Sometimes I question myself, doubt that this is the best, because it can be uncomfortable, lonely, even painful. Sometimes I think the world sees me as a little crazy. Others don’t see how I see or feel what I feel. Courage, that’s what it takes to walk this path.

For me there have been AHA moments, gradual and painful un-coverings and practice, practice, practice. So, why walk this path at all? I’ll tell you why…I  have experienced great comfort and peace, discovered how to be in the world but not of it, and have come to know many kindred souls. I feel happy and enriched. I can’t imagine my life without walking this path!

I am willing to keep walking. Where I am today is so far from where I used to be. I believe my courage and bravery come from deep inside of me…from my soul…and from the Divine that dwells in my very being. I am in good hands…I am never alone…and I am grateful.

All is well
Paula

Here we go…sliding in to 2022. I know we all thought the world would be a lot different by now…that we would be beyond Covid and somehow back on track. There were those who just wanted things to be back the way they were and those who hoped we would emerge stronger than ever, with a better understanding of what is really important in life.

Even a cursory look reveals that we are not in either place. We have all now become more familiar with viruses, variants, inflation, disrupted supply chains, shut-downs, labor shortages, overwhelmed hospitals, face coverings…the list goes on.

We have a new list of heroes that includes grocery and retail workers, truck drivers, delivery people…in addition to health care workers, hospital support staff, nurses and doctors. Do we still see them as heroes? Or has that moniker worn off?

Covid was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020. It hasn’t stopped its march across our country, now having taken more than 810,000 lives…and transformed itself into a new, very contagious variant…Omicron.

So what now? Check in with how you feel. What do you want to carry into the new year? Yes, we are where we are with Covid. And still, how do you want to step into 2022? This is it, you know. One ride this time around. No do-overs.

Here is what I want to leave behind. Needing to be right. Telling others what they should or shouldn’t do.  Expecting others to agree with me. Trying to convince them to see it my way. Judging others for what they say or how they act or what decisions they make. This feels exhausting.

Here is what I want to carry. First and foremost, kindness. Serenity. Hope. Ease. Deep joy. Possibility. Wonder. Acceptance. I want to focus on everything that is good and move forward in service to goodness. This feels happy.

HAPPY New Year! I am ready!
All is well.
Paula